My newest plane (GWMP Sport-E-Stick) had about six flights (everything seemed fine Ė flew good). On next flight motor stopped and I had no control of control surfaces. Spiraled down and crashed. Wings hardly damaged (leading edge on both outboard bays) Ė fuse repairable. (Pretty tough plane with a pound of battery shifting position when hitting ground!!!)

When I got home I plugged the servos in the rx and a reg battery pack and all worked fine. I then connected the ESC, 10 cell battery and Motor and motor worked. Only thing I noted different was the ESC makes a very, very faint beep when turned on (before it was a loud beep).

the ESC makes a very, very faint beep when turned on (before it was a loud beep).

Any advice? (short of sending to Hacker)

Thanks in advance,
Dennis

This is the same power system I have in my E3D. Even at 4:1 the static amps are at about 44amps. I would check the SPT pack. It sounds like you lost all power to the radio system so maybe the SPT rods where tight enough? I've never used one of those types of packs, I solder mine together. Check all your connections to the radio.

If the ESC overheated it should have just shut down the motor but you would have had full control.

The ESC arming beep is hardly audible outside the plane. This is normal. The beep is amplfied by the wood of the plane. I've noticed this also.

How do you fly the plane? I fly the E3D on 1/2 thottle most of the time. Do you use alot of partial throttle. ESCs at partial throttle heat up more.

You should have plenty of cooling in this model design for the ESC and motor.

How are your control surfaces. Is there any servo binding noise at full deflection? Binding can cause the ESC BEC to work harder and possible fail.

When the motor stopped the first that came to mind was that I had enough altitude to turn and glide in dead stick but plane immediated started to spiral (keep playing over in my head if I really lost power or just went into stall and I didn't have enough input to counteract - never will no for sure but I am leaning toward that conclusion).

I did check the rods and tighten them a little before I started using them. The only thing I did differently was to charge the batteries the night before. They seemed not to have as much power as before I could go vertical indefinetly - the last two flights seemed to struggle a little.

I have been flying pretty much full throttle entire flight.

Control surfaces seem ok - do not detect binding.

One thing I recall when you mentioned cooling. I have the ESC laying loose on the battery. Was going to velcro to side of fuse but didn't. Maybe got hot from battery - flopped around to much?????

overtemped the BEC in the speed control. The 3102 servos draw a LOT more current than the hs81's that most people use, and can overload the BEC in the speed controls. I like these servos over all the others in their size range, so I use them in everything, but I've started using U-BEC's in all my planes now, so that the BEC in the speed controls aren't pushed past their limits. The u-becs are about $30, and I've had zero problems with them. Cheapest "insurance" policy i've ever put in a plane.

In the crash I broke an end cap on the SPT pack. When I ordered a new one yesterday from Elene at MEC I also ordered a U-BEC as I noticed one of your posting stating you use them on about evrything. Just want to say again that the Sport-E-Stick held up well in the crash. Fuse took most of the punishment but all but one area will go back together with a little re-glue. Motor mount was intact except one side of fuse - most are clean breaks at the glue joints. Have the E3D framed up. Quess I better get another u-bec, heheeheee.